Calvin Synod Herald, 1974 (74. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1974-03-01 / 3. szám
4 CALVIN SYNOD HERALD the “Löwen or Old Hungarian Mary-Lamentation” (1300). The latter was found in a codex in Toscana, North Italy, but later was removed to Löwen from where it gets its name. The text of Mary-Lamentation was published in 1923 in Hungary. According to Fehér these specimens are fragments only of an extensive literature,8 however, others say that since there was no need for wide spread literature, there was none.9 Fehér refers to Eastern cidtures where literature flourished earlier than in the West. It is well known that the conquering Hungarians had an alphabet and that they had literary inclinations. Fehér states that Bayontu Khan (1312-1320) through Odsir Csoski, a monk, ordered a thousand copies of a religious book to be printed and then distributed them to his shepherds.10 An incomplete and damaged copy — 22 pages out of 168 — was found under the ruins of the monastery of Turphan, now Sinkiang Province, China. In the Hungarian monasteries in the 12th century, as in the monastery on the island on the Danube — now Margit sziget — Budapest, the Passion Story was read in Hungarian. This then was only possible if there was a Bible translated into Hungarian.11 In the 14th century in a monastery in Florence, Italy, Pasavanti, a book censor, speaks about a Hungarian Bible.12 Guarinus, a monk, mentioned a Hungarian Bible13 in connection with the life story of Saint Margaret. During the Hungarian inquisition trials, several Hungarian Bibles are mentioned because of their Manicheistic doctrine. These books were usually burned but those that remained, were taken to Florence.14 The book censors confiscated the “false” translation15 and persecuted the owners of these books. The book censors tried to obtain all the “Biblia Pauperum — Bible of the poor” which were made available through the followers of Peter Waldo. Usually these Bibles were copied by the Prague University students in paving the road for the Hussite movement. Orbán, the inquisitor in Kassa, in 1289 confiscated 85 copies of this Bible in Lőcse.16 King Louis the Great ordered these Bibles burned17 in Pozsony, Nagyszombat, Bártfa, Lőcse and Szatmár. In the records of these confiscations and burnings titles of the Hungarian books involved are listed. Benedek, the presbyter of Tata in 1238, gives an account of the Hungarian translation of the gospel of Luke before the inquisitor, Damasus; this book was also burned.18 In the same year, a 12th century Hungarian translation of one of the gospels19 was burned because it was “unreadable due to excessive use.” In Transylvania in 1228, twelve books were found among the Saxons; while another twelve were found by Count Olbodus.20 The inquisitor, Wolfgang, in the town of Káld confiscated a book which was written “Scripta curiosa” in Hungarian runic writing.21 A hermit, Regwes, who lived in the Guratanus Forest by the Ilmod Creek owned a book also written in Hungarian runic writing.22 This book contained the Elek legend. A man named Chily in the village of Kelnuk owned a book which contained the Barlaam — Josaphat legend. The book was confiscated in 1524 by Chrisostom, abbot of Segesvár.23 In 1288 in the town of Turuskum and vicinity during a searching party, 27 books were found and confiscated.24 All were written in Hungarian. In the town of Vágsellye, “very old” books were confiscated so they could not be read25 to the old people as was the practice. In the Augustinian Convent in Saint Florian, Austria there is an old Hungarian book about which almost nothing is known.26 The book “Liber Stellarum et Signorum” was translated into Hungarian for King László Kun during his reign in the 13th century.27 A book of poetry “Cantica super sepulcrum Attile Regis” was also translated into Hungarian. It was translated by the owners father when he studied at the University of Aleppo. This copy was used and copied by many others.28 The book “Old Hungarian History” (ős-gesta) was confiscated from the Royal Library and taken to Florence.29 * The above mentioned facts prove that Hungarian literature and literary interest existed from the time of the establishment of monasteries in Hungary. First writings in Hungarian were probably translations of parts of the Bible. The overzealed missionary work and the inquisition to protect the Roman Catholic doctrine almost destroyed all the documents of this early Hungarian literature including codices in Hungarian runic writing. There is still hope that in the monasteries of Florence or under the ruins of old monasteries in the east, some old Hungarian writings may be found. Francis Vitéz NOTES lBod, Péter: História Ecclesiastica, Lugduni—Batavorum, 1888. I. Pp. 28-36. 2Fridericus Adolphus Lampe (Debreceni Ember Pál) : História Ecclesiae Reformatae in Hungária et Transylvania, 1728. Pp. 1-9. 3The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, IV. P. 127. 4Moravcsik, Gyula: Byzantium and the Hungarians (Bizánc és a magyarság), Akadémia Publishing, Budapest, 1953, P. 38. 5Ibid. P. 37 6Ibid. P. 53 7Fehér, M. Jenő: Inquisition in Hungary in the Middle Ages (Középkori magyar inkvizíció) Transsylvania Publishing, Buenos Aires, 1956, Pp. 473-484 8Ibid. P. 115 9Ibid. P. 115 10Ibid. P. 117 “Ibid. P. 118 12Ibid. P. 118 13Ibid. P. 18-19 14Ibid. P. 119 15Ibid. P. 120 «Ibid. P. 123 «Ibid. P. 125 «Ibid. P. 127 «Ibid. P. 127 20Ibid. P. 128 21Ibid. P. 128 22Ibid. P. 129 23Ibid. P. 129 24Ibid. P. 130 25Ibid. P. 143 26Ibid. P. 145 27Ibid. P. 150 28Ibid. P. 151 29Ibid. P. 158
